Health care worker in Kailahun, Sierra Leone wearing protective gear includes goggles and head to toe covering, as well as gloves and boots.
Tommy Trenchard of NPR asks, This Suit Keeps Ebola Out — So How Can A Health Worker Catch It? In response to my article yesterday,
Dr. Sheik Umar Khan, Sierra Leone's top Ebola doctor, contracts virus after treating 100 patients, many have asked, "how could this happen, even though he was taking all the recommended precautions?"
Dr. Khan is just one of dozens of health workers who have become infected with the virus while caring for patients even while wearing protective gear called PPE, personal protective equipment. Caring for patients requires much contact, and any exposure to bodily fluids of an infected patients can transmit the virus, so this includes vomit, blood, sweat, mucus, diarrhea, semen, spit, etc.
Dr Khan has said, "Even with the full protective clothing you put on," Khan has said, "you are at risk." Taking these suits off safely after exposure is not easy, and health workers are also vulnerable to needle sticks and other exposures such as with blood samples, hospital equipment, and laboratory tests.
Tommy Tranchard spoke with Armand Sprecher of MSF, Medecins Sans Frontieres, known also in English as Doctors Without Borders, about the protective gear, known as PPE.
The yellow suit that MSF [Medecins Sans Frontieres] uses is [made of] a woven plastic fiber. And they throw a laminate on it. It's very fluid impervious. But to work, it has to be used in conjunction with a set of behaviors and procedures. ...
The presumed way you get sick is virus gets into a mucus membrane inside your mouth, nose or eyes. If you were very, very good about keeping your hands off your face, you could probably get away with more exposed skin above the neck. But we like to cover [health workers] from the neck up. So when the hand goes to the face in an unconscious movement, it doesn't touch anything.
Although in slang, Africans apparently often call these "moon-suits," the ones pictured here and used in the field fall far short of the "moon suits" used in Biolsecurity Level 4 labs which are airtight, have their own air supply, and kept a positive pressure.
Another issue with the suits are because they are fluid-resistant they are also air-resistant, and they become uncomfortable in the African heat. Sprecher says "(i)t's hotter than hell. You're unable to wear the PPE for more than 30 or 40 minutes in tropical heat."
Trenchard also asks Armand Sprecher how the West African medical community is reacting to the news of Dr. Khan's infection.
It's shaking things up. A lot of people know Dr. Khan. He is a fun guy. He is fascinated by [Ebola]. He wasn't mailing it in. He wasn't doing his job just to get through the day. ... You'd go visit him in Kenema [where he worked in the hospital], he'd be like, "Hey, take a look at this." And with his digital camera, he'd show you a rash he saw on a patient. He'd say, "I just saw that patient an hour ago. I'm going to write this one up."
He took great pleasure in his work and brought an infectious enthusiasm. He's a pleasant person to talk to. He wasn't one of these people who put on airs. You're familiar with all of the character failings of doctors and the stereotypes — he didn't fit into any of those.
Please get well soon Dr. Khan. We need you back in the field leading efforts to treat patients and contain this virus.
Our prayers and best wishes go out to Dr Khan, and all those afflicted with the Ebola virus, and all the of people of Western Africa who are struggling to stop this terrible outbreak. We also thank all of the courageous health workers of the MSF and WHO who working on the front lines of this important viral battle to keep us safe.
Here are some other recent articles I've written on the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa.
Dr. Sheik Umar Khan, Sierra Leone's top Ebola doctor, contracts virus after treating 100 patients
Dr. Sheik Umar Khan, Photocredit: Reuters
Hannah Goldberg of Time Magazine brings us the sad news that Sierra Leone’s Chief Ebola Doctor Contracts ...
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HoundDog |
07/23/2014 |
53 |
131 |
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12 Liberian health workers die of Ebola, others flee posts, 539 deaths out of 888 cases
Yesterday, the World Health Organization announced a new total death count of 538 out of 888 total cases of Ebola in Western Africa. This post provides brief paragraphs from, and links to, four ...
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HoundDog |
07/11/2014 |
84 |
134 |
3 |
Deadliest Ebola outbreak in history happening now - June 26 WHO update 367 deaths outs of 600 cases
This post is meant as a brief update of my post of Wednesday, June 25, ...
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HoundDog |
06/27/2014 |
59 |
44 |
2 |
Ebola "out of control, we have reached the limits of what we can do," says Doctors Without Borders
Dennis Lynch of the International Business Times reports Ebola Outbreak: Doctors Without Borders ...
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HoundDog |
06/25/2014 |
203 |
333 |
5 |
Ebola continues to spread in Western Africa, death toll at 337 with 528 cases
Sylvain Cherkaoui, Cosmos,
Courtesy of Doctors Without Borders
The World Health Organization announced the combined death toll from the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra ...
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HoundDog |
06/18/2014 |
7 |
32 |
1 |
West African Ebola death toll rises to 193 out of 291 cases, 34 new cases in Sierra Leone
After appearing to be under control with a declining number of new cases, the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Western Africa is spreading in a ...
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HoundDog |
06/02/2014 |
16 |
29 |
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350 cases of SARS-like MERS Coronavirus spreads to new countries from Saudi Arabia causes 100 deaths
Egyptian Muslim pilgrims wear masks to protect against MERS: Amr Nabil/AP Photo
Gillian Moheney from ABC News ...
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HoundDog |
04/28/2014 |
8 |
20 |
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WHO reports Ebola outbreak spreading: 50 cases in Guinea's capital Conakry including 20 deaths
The United Nation's World Health Organization released new figures today for the death toll from Ebola spreading in Guinea, Mali, and Liberia today. These numbers may not look substantially higher ...
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HoundDog |
04/22/2014 |
32 |
37 |
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Ebola outbreak is new strain 97% similar to Zaire strain, blamed for 135 deaths out of 197 cases
Reuters reports that the West African Ebola outbreak ...
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HoundDog |
04/18/2014 |
5 |
20 |
- |
Ebola out in Guinea is a new strain, did not spread from previous outbreak, death toll rises to 120
The Ebola Virus in West Africa Is New Strain, Scientists Say, and the outbreak in Guinea that has killed more than ...
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HoundDog |
04/17/2014 |
6 |
32 |
- |
West African Ebola death toll reaches 121, rate of new cases slows, progress on vaccine in mice
I have three articles for you tonight and for the first time since the outbreak started two bits of good news. Guineas reports that the number of new cases is falling, and our second articles ...
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HoundDog |
04/16/2014 |
9 |
31 |
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Ebola outbreak is one of most challenging ever seen, death toll tops 100, will continue for months
Terri Rupar, of The Washington Post reports that Doctors of the World Health Organization announced today ...
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HoundDog |
04/08/2014 |
13 |
43 |
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Ebola death toll rises to 95 with 151 suspected cases
My son just told me his girlfriend's sister is in Mali with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Doctor's Without Borders, helping treat the afflicted and contain this epidemic and he and her family ...
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HoundDog |
04/08/2014 |
8 |
24 |
- |
'Panic' as Ebola virus spreads across West Africa, mob attacks medical center
Different images of the Ebola epidemic in Western Africa emerge depending on which reports you read. The death toll has risen to 90. The World Health Organization is downplaying concerns ...
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HoundDog |
04/06/2014 |
53 |
119 |
2 |
Ebola death toll climbs to 85 out of 137 cases, in Mali, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
Two hours ago, Matt Smith, of CNN wrote Ebola toll tops ...
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HoundDog |
04/05/2014 |
10 |
37 |
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A new independent outbreak of Ebola occurring in Libera, death toll escalates.
Hi Everyone. In order to get our discussion started earlier tonight I'm going to do things a little bit differently, and post a survey of five articles without my usual pix, to get discussion started,
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HoundDog |
04/03/2014 |
112 |
103 |
1 |
West Africa on high alert as ebola epidemic spreads in unusual pattern, Sauda Arabia cancels visas
Concern over Africa's largest outbreak of Ebola in seven years is moving up to a higher level as the death toll rises and the spread of the epidemic moves into an unusual pattern breaking out at ...
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HoundDog |
04/02/2014 |
151 |
93 |
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African Ebola outbreak expanding in unusual pattern, 78 deaths out of 122 suspected cases
Linda Poon, of NPR, explains how ...
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HoundDog |
04/02/2014 |
39 |
67 |
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Ebola now confirmed to have spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone from Guinea, at least 70 dead
Alphonso Toweh, of Reuters reports the latest update from Liberian health authorities confirm two cases of Ebola: WHO, and left 70 ...
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HoundDog |
03/31/2014 |
33 |
37 |
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Senegal shuts border with Guinea to stop spread of Ebola, cases now in Libera and Sierra Leone
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HoundDog |
03/29/2014 |
59 |
67 |
1 |
8 cases of Ebola found in Guinea's capital of Conakry, bats confirmed as viral reservoir, 70 deaths
CBS News confirms that Ebola hits Guinea's capital Conakry, 8 infected Health officials in the West African nation of Guinea say they're now ...
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HoundDog |
03/28/2014 |
18 |
12 |
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Bats discovered to be transmission vector in largest outbreak of Ebola in Africa in seven years 64
The BBC is reporting that scientists have finally discovered that bats are the hidden reservoir and transmission vector for spreading Ebola, as reported, in Guinea Ebola outbreak: Bat-...
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HoundDog |
03/27/2014 |
35 |
22 |
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Africa's largest outbreak of Ebola in seven years now suspected of spreading to Liberia (updated)
Update: Bloomberg is now reporting that Africa's largest outbreak of Ebola in seven years is now thought have spread from Guinea to Liberia. The report below develops chronologically from this ...
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03/24/2014 |
63 |
30 |
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4:50 PM PT: Inserm and Institut Pasteur Identify a New Variant of Ebola Virus,
Mobile BSL-4 Response
A mobile BSL-4 laboratory was deployed in Guinea to provide assistance with diagnosis in the field. This mobile laboratory was developed as part of a European project, “EMP4,” coordinated by German researchers, and in which the Jean Mérieux-Inserm BSL-4 Laboratory is the French partner.
Viral RNA was extracted from the blood samples, and then amplified and sequenced. These sequences were finally compared to 48 already known complete Ebola virus genomes. According to results, the analysis showed 97% identity with strains identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 and 2007, and in Gabon in 1994 and 1996.
“These results demonstrate that we are facing the emergence of a new “form” of this virus in Guinea,” explains Hervé Raoul, Director of the BSL-4 Laboratory. This form is common to cases discovered since the month of December.
4:53 PM PT: Inserm and Institut Pasteur Identify a New Variant of Ebola Virus,
Mobile BSL-4 Response
A mobile BSL-4 laboratory was deployed in Guinea to provide assistance with diagnosis in the field. This mobile laboratory was developed as part of a European project, “EMP4,” coordinated by German researchers, and in which the Jean Mérieux-Inserm BSL-4 Laboratory is the French partner.
Viral RNA was extracted from the blood samples, and then amplified and sequenced. These sequences were finally compared to 48 already known complete Ebola virus genomes. According to results, the analysis showed 97% identity with strains identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 and 2007, and in Gabon in 1994 and 1996.
“These results demonstrate that we are facing the emergence of a new “form” of this virus in Guinea,” explains Hervé Raoul, Director of the BSL-4 Laboratory. This form is common to cases discovered since the month of December.
5:42 PM PT: